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Articles of Confederation/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are sitting at their kitchen table. Tim is sorting through a pile of mail. He tosses aside the first few pieces as he identifies them. TIM: Let's see, bill, junk mail, AOL installation disk... ah, here we go. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, I read that the Constitution was written more than a decade after America declared its independence. So how were things run for all that time? From, Parker. Great question, Parker. MOBY: Beep. TIM: You're right, the United States became independent in 1776, but the Constitution didn't go into effect until 1789. That's a thirteen-year gap. A timeline shows the thirteen-year gap between American independence and the ratification of the Constitution. MOBY: Beep. TIM: To answer that, let's go back to July of 1776, at the Pennsylvania State House, in Philadelphia. Wait! I... Moby opens the control panel on his arm and pushes a button. They vanish and reappear in the Pennsylvania State House in July, 1776. TIM: I meant that figuratively. TIM: This is the Second Continental Congress, made up of representatives from the thirteen colonies. An image shows the Second Continental Congress. Several lawmakers in colonial era clothing are talking among themselves. Tim and Moby watch the proceedings. TIM: Last week on July 4th, they adopted the Declaration of Independence. An image of the Declaration of Independence appears. TIM: They've just taken on the biggest empire the world has ever seen. But the Founders weren't just speaking to England. A map shows Eastern North America. The American colonies are marked with a British flag. A colonial American flag appears and bumps into, then replaces, the British flag. TIM: The Declaration was telling the world, "We're here, and we are the United States of America". An image shows The Declaration of Independence and then the words "July 4, 1776" and "United States of America." MOBY: Beep. TIM: But in reality, there was very little that united them. TIM: The states each had their own culture and laws. A map shows the thirteen American colonies. Each colony is a different color and has its own flag. TIM: Each could coin its own money, form its own armies, even make its own treaties. So Americans didn't really think of themselves as Americans. Images on the map show three coins, a soldier, and a handshake. TIM: They were New Yorkers, Pennsylvanians, Virginians … State seals from these three states appear on the map. TIM: But these guys knew they couldn't beat the British without a united front. The image of the Second Continental Congress reappears. MOBY: Beep. TIM: First off, fighting with one army is a lot more efficient than fighting with thirteen separate armies. Also, America needed support from nations like Spain and France. These countries wouldn't send money or soldiers unless the Americans got their act together. An animation shows Benjamin Franklin holding out his hat, seeking money. A Spanish and a French official walk by, indicating with gestures that they do not want to help Franklin. Franklin reaches into his hat and pulls out a thirteen-star colonial flag. The two foreign officials pick up boxes of cash. TIM: They wanted to be sure their loans would be repaid. So Congress immediately went to work creating a national government. The result was the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution. An image shows a sheet of blank parchment paper. Several hands holding quill pens start writing on it all at once. They stop writing and the completed document is the "Articles of Confederation." MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yep, they knew they had to act fast. At the same time, they didn't want to rush into anything they'd regret later. Each state worried that the national government might favor other states. An image appears of three colonial lawmakers playing poker. Their hats are labelled Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. They're holding their cards close to their faces and shifting their eyes back and forth. TIM: So they came up with a simple solution: Make the new government too weak to favor anyone. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the Articles defined America as a "firm league of friendship" between sovereign, or independent, states. An animation shows a small, frail-looking Uncle Sam standing between two tall, muscular men whose shirts say "Massachusetts" and "Virginia." The two men look down threateningly at Uncle Sam with their fists clenched. Then the two men clasp their hands together in solidarity over Uncle Sam's head. Uncle Sam looks dejected. TIM: It was more like a voluntary organization than a binding set of laws. The national government included one house of Congress, and not much else. It had a few specific powers, like making wars and treaties, printing money, and settling disputes among states. Three images appear: the Supreme Court building, the Capital building, and the White House. The Supreme Court building and the White House are crossed out, leaving only the Capital building. Small symbols appear to illustrate the powers Tim mentions. TIM: Each state got one vote in Congress for a total of thirteen. Bills could only become law after receiving nine of those votes. An image shows a seated row of state representatives. Some are making a "thumbs up" gesture. Others are giving a "thumbs down." TIM: With the states so deeply divided, getting that many votes was next to impossible. Even if a law did pass, there was no real way for Congress to enforce it. An animation appears of a hand stamping a document as "rejected." MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah. During the war, that created some problems. Congress couldn't levy taxes to support George Washington's Army. It could ask states for money, but there was no way to actually collect it. An animation shows Uncle Sam walking up to a door marked "Massachusetts." He knocks and it is opened by a big, muscular man. Uncle Sam holds out a cup, asking for money. The man points at Uncle Sam and laughs. TIM: As a result, the army almost starved to death during cold, harsh winters. After the war was won, the states acted more like rivals than parts of the same nation. An animation appears of Revolutionary War soldiers, marching unhappily in a snowstorm. MOBY: Beep. TIM: For one thing, they each raised cash by taxing each other's goods. An animation appears of a woman in a dress store. She is examining two identical dresses displayed next to each other. The first has a tag that reads, "$5 – Made in Rhode Island." The second has a tag that reads, "$20 – Made in Connecticut." TIM: They kept minting their own money, even though they weren't supposed to. And instead of pooling the debts they had run up during the war, they tried to repay them separately. The woman tries to buy the $5 dress, but the clerk will not take her money. A sign behind the clerk reads, "Rhode Island Dollars Only!" TIM: The national government had debts too, and it couldn't collect taxes to repay them. The images of Ben Franklin and the Spanish and French officials are shown. The two Europeans hold their hands out. Franklin's pants pockets are inside-out, indicating that he has no money. TIM: All it could do was issue paper money, which lost value with every new printing. An animation shows Franklin walking off and then returning with a forced smile and a wheelbarrow filled with currency. The wheelbarrow is labeled "Worthless American Dollars." The European officials refuse the offer. TIM: To make matters worse, the government couldn't protect the country's borders. Britain still had forts on American soil, but the army was too weak to do anything about it. An animation appears of a British soldier, sticking out his tongue and thumbing his nose at American soldiers. British soldiers are standing atop a fort. The American soldiers are standing outside the fort, looking sad and defeated. TIM: It's hard to believe now, but at the time it seemed like the new nation might collapse. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Things came to a head in 1785. Angered by poverty, taxes, and broken promises, a group of farmers revolted against the government of Massachusetts. The national Congress could do nothing about Shays' Rebellion, so a local militia had to put it down. The writing was on the wall. America needed a strong, central government. An image shows rioting farmers. They are holding pitchforks, guns and documents. Militia men are lined up, pointing guns at the farmers. MOBY: Beep. TIM: In 1787, state representatives met to discuss changing the Articles of Confederation. Many argued for starting over with a whole new document based on federalism. An image shows a small group of lawmakers having a discussion. MOBY: Beep. TIM: That's a system where states share power with a strong national government. The word "federalism" and a Venn diagram appear. The left circle is labeled "State Powers." The right circle is labeled "National Powers." The overlapping area between the circles is labeled "Shared Powers." TIM: The delegates wound up drafting the Constitution, which set up a government that could flex some muscle. The animation reappears of a small, weak Uncle Sam standing between two big men from Massachusetts and Virginia. The word "Constitution" appears at the bottom of the screen, and Uncle Sam becomes enormous and muscular. His shirt rips and falls off, exposing a bodybuilder's physique. The two states look on in fear. TIM: It could enforce laws, collect taxes, and manage the nation's finances. Images appear of a judge's gavel, a tax form, and minted coins. TIM: Of course, the issue of state versus federal power never really went away. It was a major flashpoint in the lead up to the Civil War. An image shows the North and the South with guns raised, about to fight in the Civil War. TIM: And the Supreme Court still hears cases on the topic to this day. An image appears of the nine Supreme Court Justices. TIM: Hey, check it out, the Liberty Bell. Tim and Moby are standing on either side of the Liberty Bell. Moby grabs the bell's clapper and rings it. A crack appears in the bell. Tim and Moby look worried. TIM: Okay, I think we're finished here. Moby presses the teleport button on his arm, and the two disappear in time, ending the video. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts